Who Decides Football’s National Titles, Anyway? Mostly, the Schools

FILE - In this 1924, file photo, Notre Dame's infamous backfield, "The Four Horsemen," from left, Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley and Harry Stuhldreherare pose on the practice field in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame, led by the famed Four Horsemen, finished 10-0 in 1925. There was no national champion declared at the time, but two years later University of Illinois economics professor Frank Dickinson devised a mathematical point system to determine a national champion, Stephens said. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne persuaded Dickinson to retroactively determine a national champion for the 1925 (Dartmouth) and 1924 seasons. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012, file photo, Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson, left, reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. Johnson was fired on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, general manager Billy King announced. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2012, file photo, Brooklyn Nets head coach Avery Johnson, left, reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago. Johnson was fired on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, general manager Billy King announced. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 1965, file photo, Alabama coach Paul Bryant puts his arm around quarterback Joe Namath in the dressing room after losing to Texas in the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game in Miami. Alabama (10-1), led by Namath, was named No. 1 in both the AP and coaches poll at the end of the regular season. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 for the last month of the season, but was upset in the season finale by Southern California. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 1965, file photo, Alabama coach Paul Bryant puts his arm around quarterback Joe Namath in the dressing room after losing to Texas in the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game in Miami. Alabama (10-1), led by Namath, was named No. 1 in both the AP and coaches poll at the end of the regular season. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 for the last month of the season, but was upset in the season finale by Southern California. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2012, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer stands on the sideline during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Penn State in State College, Pa. Meyer is perfectly willing to move on, to cease all the talk about the NCAA, violations and the bowl ban. But that doesnt mean, during a quiet moment, the Ohio State coach still doesnt have a lingering regret _ what might have been. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2012, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer stands on the sideline during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Penn State in State College, Pa. Meyer is perfectly willing to move on, to cease all the talk about the NCAA, violations and the bowl ban. But that doesnt mean, during a quiet moment, the Ohio State coach still doesnt have a lingering regret _ what might have been. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FILE - This Nov. 19, 1966, file photo, provided by Michigan State University shows the Michigan State stadium clock with the final score of an NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Notre Dame (9-0-1) was ranked No. 1 by the AP and coaches at the end of the regular season, the only blemish on its record was a 10-10 tie against No. 2 Michigan State. (AP Photo/Michigan State University)

FILE - This Nov. 19, 1966, file photo, provided by Michigan State University shows the Michigan State stadium clock with the final score of an NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Notre Dame (9-0-1) was ranked No. 1 by the AP and coaches at the end of the regular season, the only blemish on its record was a 10-10 tie against No. 2 Michigan State. (AP Photo/Michigan State University)

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2012, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Penn State in State College, Pa. Meyer is perfectly willing to move on, to cease all the talk about the NCAA, violations and the bowl ban. But that doesnt mean, during a quiet moment, the Ohio State coach still doesnt have a lingering regret _ what might have been. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2012, file photo, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Penn State in State College, Pa. Meyer is perfectly willing to move on, to cease all the talk about the NCAA, violations and the bowl ban. But that doesnt mean, during a quiet moment, the Ohio State coach still doesnt have a lingering regret _ what might have been. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 1973, file photo, Notre Dame kicker Bob Thomas (98) boots the game-winning field goal to defeat Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans. Holding is Notre Dame's Brian Doherty. Alabama (11-1) finished the regular season undefeated and was declared the national champion in the coaches poll, where the Irish were ranked No. 4. Notre Dame (11-0) then beats Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. The AP named Notre Dame national champion. (AP Photo/JH, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 1973, file photo, Notre Dame kicker Bob Thomas (98) boots the game-winning field goal to defeat Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans. Holding is Notre Dame's Brian Doherty. Alabama (11-1) finished the regular season undefeated and was declared the national champion in the coaches poll, where the Irish were ranked No. 4. Notre Dame (11-0) then beats Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. The AP named Notre Dame national champion. (AP Photo/JH, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2012, file photo, \New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy sits on the field after being sacked during the second half of an NFL football game, against the San Diego Chargers in East Rutherford, N.J. McElroy, who was sacked 11 times last weekend, has a concussion and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the Jets' starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday, coach Rex Ryan said. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2012, file photo, \New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy sits on the field after being sacked during the second half of an NFL football game, against the San Diego Chargers in East Rutherford, N.J. McElroy, who was sacked 11 times last weekend, has a concussion and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the Jets' starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday, coach Rex Ryan said. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 1973, file photo, Notre Dame players team point their fingers skyward as they chant "we're number one" after defeating then-undefeated Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans. Alabama (11-1) finished the regular season undefeated and was declared the national champion in the coaches poll, where the Irish were ranked No. 4. Notre Dame (11-0) then defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and AP named Notre Dame the national champion. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Dec. 31, 1973, file photo, Notre Dame players team point their fingers skyward as they chant "we're number one" after defeating then-undefeated Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans. Alabama (11-1) finished the regular season undefeated and was declared the national champion in the coaches poll, where the Irish were ranked No. 4. Notre Dame (11-0) then defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and AP named Notre Dame the national champion. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2012, file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback Thaddeus Lewis looks down field during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Elevated from the practice squad on Monday, Lewis could make his NFL debut in Pittsburgh on Sunday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

FILE - In this 1924, file photo, Notre Dame's infamous backfield, "The Four Horsemen," from left, Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley and Harry Stuhldreherare pose on the practice field in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame, led by the famed Four Horsemen, finished 10-0 in 1925. There was no national champion declared at the time, but two years later University of Illinois economics professor Frank Dickinson devised a mathematical point system to determine a national champion, Stephens said. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne persuaded Dickinson to retroactively determine a national champion for the 1925 (Dartmouth) and 1924 seasons. (AP Photo/File)

South Bend, Ind. — Quick, name the college football team that has won the most national championships. Alabama? Notre Dame? Princeton?

If you gave any of those answers, and maybe a few others, you might be right. Because over the years there have been a lot of organizations using different methods to determine who they think is national champion.

No wonder “mythical” is the word that often precedes national title.

“There is no official standard because there is no official national champion,” said Kent Stephens, historian at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend. “It all depends on the standard the school wishes to utilize. The national champion is in the eye of the beholder.”

This explains how Princeton can claim 28 national championships, starting with the first one in 1869. The Tigers went 1-1 that season against Rutgers in the only two games played in college football that year. They were retroactively crowned champion by several ranking organizations.

Among more traditional powerhouses, Alabama claims the most national championships with 14, followed by Notre Dame with 11, which is the same number Southern California and Michigan say they deserve.

The Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide are tied at eight for the number of times they have been declared national champions by The Associated Press since the wire service started its poll in 1936. One of the teams will be awarded its ninth AP title in the wee hours of Jan. 8, after the BCS title game.

The biggest difference between the number of overall national championships Alabama and Notre Dame claim is the way they add up their titles.

Notre Dame senior associate athletic director John Heisler said the school only counts seasons when it feels as if most of the rating services agreed the Fighting Irish were the champs.

Alabama associate athletic director Doug Walker said The Tide feels its claim is just as solid. “We acknowledge that some question one of our claimed national championships, the title from 1941, but we do claim 14 football national championships,” he said.

Here are some of the national championships involving Alabama and Notre Dame.

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1924 — Notre Dame, led by the famed Four Horsemen, finished 10-0. There was no national champion declared at the time, but two years later University of Illinois economics professor Frank Dickinson devised a mathematical point system to determine a national champion, Stephens said. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne persuaded Dickinson to retroactively determine a national champion for the 1925 (Dartmouth) and 1924 seasons. Others also were retroactively declared national champions.

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1930 — Alabama, coached by Wallace Wade, posted a 10-0 record, shutting out eight of its opponents, including a 24-0 win over Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Alabama is named the national champion by College Football Researchers. Notre Dame, in its last season under Knute Rockne, also went 10-0, including wins over Army and Southern California in the final two games. .

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1941 — Alabama posts a 9-2 record, finishes ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll but is ranked No. 1 by Houlgate. Minnesota (8-0) is ranked No. 1 by AP and several other groups. Notre Dame (8-0-1) finishes the season ranked No. 3.

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1964 — Alabama (10-1), led by Joe Namath, is named No. 1 in both the AP and coaches poll at the end of the regular season. Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 for the last month of the season, but was upset in the season finale by Southern California. The Irish finish No. 3 while Alabama then loses 21-17 to Texas in the Orange Bowl.

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1966 — Notre Dame (9-0-1) was ranked No. 1 by the AP and coaches at the end of the regular season, the only blemish on its record was a 10-10 tie against No. 2 Michigan State. Some criticized Irish coach Ara Parseghian for settling for a tie instead of going for the victory. Defending national champion Alabama (11-0) finished No. 3.

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1973 — Alabama (11-1) finishes the regular season undefeated and is declared the national champion in the coaches poll, where the Irish were ranked No. 4. Notre Dame (11-0) then beats Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl after Bob Thomas kicked the game-winning field goal with 4:26 remaining. The AP names Notre Dame national champion.

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1977 — Notre Dame (11-1), after losing 20-13 to Mississippi in the second game of the season, wins the rest of its games, including a 38-10 rout of Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and is ranked No. 1 by in the AP and coaches poll. Alabama (11-1), after losing 31-24 to Nebraska in the second game, wins the rest of its games, including a 35-6 win over Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide winds up No. 2.